About E-Bikes NZ

E-Bikes NZ is part of Top Gear Cycles Taupō’s growing E-Bike business. We are at a tipping point in our store that we are selling as many if not more e-bikes than normal bikes.

We have a dedicated team that has experience in all types of riding and a solid background from the motor trade as well as electrical engineering in the motorbike industry.

Pete, Joe and Mark are heavily involved in the community from trail building to allowing e-bikes on the local trails.

Here’s some general information about e-bikes that we have developed over the last five years of selling them.

Servicing:

We can service all E-bikes and we have now have the diagnostic software for Bosch and Impulse motors. The diagnostic software allows checks on the system and the detection of any errors.

Our experience in the bike and motorbike industry help us diagnose any bike related issues quickly.

Why an e bike will change your ride:

You will get there faster.

You will use almost the same amount of energy on the mid drive torque sensitive bikes as you will on a normal bike.

It is not cheating and you are 8 times more likely to ride an e-bike over a traditional bicycle.

They are simply awesome.

Types of e-bikes:

There are many different configurations of e-bikes but the most important thing is that the bike is the right fit for you and your riding style.
For example if you are going to so all the New Zealand Cycle Trails (NZCT; Nga Haeranga) you will not be able to ride all of them with a leisure style bike but you will on a mountain bike. It will be over kill for some trails but you’ll be wanting more suspension on the harder trails like the Great Lake Trail in Taupō and the Old Ghost ride on the West Coast of the South Island.

There are as many types of bikes available as e-bikes as normal pedal bikes. Most of the bikes we sell are Pedal Assist or PEDELEC (Pedal Electric) bikes. You have to pedal to make them move continually.

Types of motors:

Mid-drive: Mounted in the bottom bracket area of the bike this centralises the weight of the motor and allows for crank/pedal sensors to measure the effort you are putting in to the ride. They also hold the weight low so keeping the handling efficient.
Hub drive: Mounted instead of the rear hub this type of motor relies on good wheel strength and pushes you along. They can be torque sensitive on the more expensive bikes of on the entry level bikes they can be cadence sensitive.

Jargon:

Mid Drive: Centre mounted motorTorque: Is the force involved in moving something through a rotational movementCadence: revolution per minute (rpm) of the cranks of the bike. Typically this should be around 90 cadence (rpm)Hub: Centre of a wheel that is laced to spokes and the rim. Contains an axle, bearings and usually has a freewheel attached to allow the cassette (gears) to spin freely when the rider stops pedalingCrank: The arm attached to the bottom bracket that has the pedal on it and is turned to produce forward momentum.
Bottom Bracket: A bearing and axle that fits through the bottom of the bicycle frame that the cranks attach to.

The bike fit:

There is a lot of discussion about bike fit but the most important thing is that you are honest with yourself an know your limitations. We have spent years fitting people to bikes and we believe if the bike does not fit the rider then you will never enjoy the ride compared to a well fitting bike.
To obtain the optimal fit you should be fitted by one of our professional bike fitters. This takes up to three hours. You can be sized for a bike in 5 minutes. This includes saddle height,length of the bike (reach) and height of the handlebars (stack). Everyone has a different fit and every bike is different depending on how it is set up.

There are generally a two types of fit on a bike:

Leisure/Recreational

Aggressive/Race

If you like sitting more upright and enjoy the scenery this may be because your body is designed that way. There is a bike and bike set up for every type of riding and rider. Just ask us.